Amir Johnson Reportedly Finalizing Deal to Re-Sign with 76ers on 1-Year Contract
Free-agent center Amir Johnson is reportedly finalizing a one-year deal to return to the Philadelphia 76ers in 2018-19, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Wednesday.
Johnson returned to a reserve role for most of the 2017-18 season with the Sixers after spending the majority of the previous four years as a starter with the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors.
His involvement doesn't see a massive change whether he's in the lineup or coming off the bench, though. He averaged 4.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists for the Sixers this past season after putting up 6.5 points, 4.6 boards and 1.8 dimes per game the previous campaign with the Celtics.
The 31-year-old Los Angeles native is a reliable defender in the frontcourt who can make an offensive impact without a ton of touches thanks to his 57.2 career shooting percentage.
In January, Sixers head coach Brett Brown told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer about Johnson's influence as the team's rebuilding efforts turned a corner.
"Guys that have a spirit and a personality on a day-to-day basis are priceless in the long NBA season, and he ticked all those boxes," he said. "He hasn't disappointed at all. He's a wonderful teammate. His teammates think the world of him. I'm lucky to have him in our locker room."
Those comments make it no surprise the 76ers decided to bring him back. He's an ideal glue guy for a team on the rise, and he seemed to find a comfort zone in that role this past season.
Johnson should remain a bench asset behind Dario Saric and Joel Embiid moving forward.
While the Sixers haven't made a big impact in free agency, reportedly re-signing Johnson is a move that helps largely keep together a team that earned the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and reached the second round of the playoffs last season.
